Heat-controller stand for electric smoothing-irons.



H No. 723,333. PATENTED MAR.Z4,1903.I

J. I. AYER.

HEAT CONTROLLER STAN R ELECT G SMOOTHING IRONS. APPLIOAT ILED JA ,1902.

F0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES I. AYER, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO SIMPLEX ELECTRIC HEATING COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A COR- PORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS,

HEAT CONTROLLER STAND FOR'ELECTRIC SMOOTHING-IRONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 723,633, dated March 24, 1903. Application filed January 6, 1902. Serial No. 88,570. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES I. AYER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Malden, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Heat-Controller Stands for Electric Smoothing-Irons, of'which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

Electricity has been long coming into prominent use, as a heating mediu m wherever a steady local heat is required for various kinds of tools, including such articles as smoothing-irons used in laundries, tailoring establishments, &c., the usual method of applying electricity to heating the iron being, however, simply to lead the current directly to the iron or toa heating-coil carried by the iron, the result being that, provided the strength of current was proper for the purpose, the iron would maintain a proper heat while being actively used on the heat-consuming damp clothes, but when permitted to remain out of contact with the damp clothes being ironed it would become abnormally heated, with resultant danger of damage to the iron and to the clothes when the l as iron was subsequently applied to them. Accordingly I have devised a stand to be used in connection with an electrical-heated iron which operates automatically to cut out part of the current during periods of idleness and preferably, also, allows incidental heat of the stand to assist in keeping the iron at normal heat during such periods of idleness.

}'The constructional details of my invention While I have chosen to illustrate my invention as applied to a smoothing-iron stand, it will be. understood that I am not limited thereto, but that the invention, is applicable to various other situations where a tool or similar article is required to be temporarily placed at rest on the suitable stand.

In the drawings I have indicated a form of smoothing-iron or flat-iron stand capable of ininoperativeposition. Thiscontact-breaker may be constructed in many different ways; but I prefer to make it in the form of a pivoted member b hung between ears b at the side of the stand and provided witha weight b at one end for normally holding the opposite end of the contact-breaker in raised position, said end being hereinshown as carrying on its under side a projection b The iron 0 derives current in any suitable manner, as from service-wires d (1, being in a branch circuit composed of wires (1 d which are connected to the stand at bindinging-posts b From these binding-posts contacts, herein shown as and preferably consistiug of springs b b, extend in such position that the breaker b may engage one or the other in such manner as to break the circuit upon being depressed, the contact-spring b for this purpose being herein shown as provided with an insulated pressure-receiving piece 11 immediately beneath the projection 12 of the pivoted device b When the contacts b b arebroken, the branch circuit is 5 completed through the stand b, said stand beingcom posed or partially composed of con ducting material, preferably iron.

From the above description it will be seen that when the iron is in use it is included in quired for keeping the iron normally heated or undesirable point, the iron is, placed on explained, might permit the iron gradually ance when the iron is again put into use, and therefore, as previously intimated, I do not placing the stand in series rice with its heating-circuit the resistance of the circuitfand hence tothat degree the curo sults, as follows:

a branch circuit (1 b b d and therefore re= ceivesa maximum current, such as is-re-- under usual conditions of use, the circuit at that time being completed through the contacts 12'' b and hence the circuit is uninterrupted by any special resistance, such as that which is subsequently introduced by hircuit witlr the iron. When the ironis taken away from the cooling conditions of contact with the damp clothes being ironed, and would therefore quickly rise in temperature to a dangerous the stand,and hence automatically by depression of the circuit-breaker b throws into sethe standor -that portion thereof which is in rent supplied to the iron is reduced, it being understood that the parts are proportioned according to the requirements of the given smoothing-iron or other tool and other conditions in which the apparatus may be employed. In this preferred form of my invention, however, in which the resistance whichis introduced into the circuit is carried by the stand itself, another desirable advantage ref the iron were left out of active use for a c nsiderable time, the withdrawal of the heating-current therefrom, as

tobool ofi more than would be desirable, and hence by having a portion of the current sent through the. stand the latter is slightly heated, so as to assist in keeping uormal heat in the iron.

Broadly my invention resides in providing means acting automaticallywhen the iron is placed out. of use to introduce resistance into the heating-circuit and cut out said resisting a stand, a tool'normally occupying said stand when not in use, an electric-circuit for heating said tool, said stand being included in series with said tool in said circuit, a shortcircnit device' across said circuit between the stand and tool, and a circuit-breaker for cooperating with said short-circuit device to break the short circuit. V v

'2. Adevice of the kind described comprising a stand, a tool normally occupying said stand when not in use, an electric circnitfor heating. said tool, said stand being included in series with said tool in said circuit, a shortcircuit device across said circuit between the in a stand a tool normall occu in" saidstand when not in use, an electric circuit for ,heating said tool, said stand being included in series with said tool in said circuit, a shortcircuit device across said circuit between the stand and tool, and a circuit-breaker pivot ally supported and normally projecting in position adjacent said short-circnit device to be moved for breaking the circuit, by the placing of the iron thereon.

5. A device of the kind described comprising a stand, a tool normally occupying said stand when not in use, an electric-circuit for heating-said tool, said stand being included in series with said tool in said circuit, a shortcircuit device across said circuit between the stand and tool, said short-circuit device consisting of two contacts held yieldingly together, and a circuit-breaker for separating them, said short-circuit device having a portion normally projecting above the iron-receiving surface of the stand to be depressed automatically by the placing of the iron on the stand. V

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- J AS. I. AYER.

Witnesses: s

Gno. H. MAXWELL, WILHELMINA G. Hnusnn. 

